A new research shows has revealed that chemicals found in non-stick cookwares and fast food packaging are taking a great toll on penises.

The chemicals, called perfluoroalkyl compounds, PFCs, is usually found in a number of everyday items, including any cookware with nonstick coat on it, fast food packaging and many others.

Researchers from the University of Padua have found that PFCs may harm hormone signalling, leading to ‘significantly’ smaller penises and less mobile sperm.

The researchers analysed young men living in Padua in Italy - one of four locations in the world where water is known to be heavily polluted with PFCs in the study.

They found that men who grew up in the area had significantly smaller penises.

In the study, published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, the researchers, led by Andrea Di Nisio, wrote: “This study documents that PFCs have a substantial impact on human male health as they directly interfere with hormonal pathways potentially leading to male infertility.

“We found that increased levels of PFCs in plasma and seminal fluid positively correlate with circulating testosterone and with a reduction of semen quality, testicular volume, penile length, and AGD [anogenital distance].”

Worryingly, the researchers found the problem has affected young men from 1978 onwards - and the PFCs aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Instead, they suggest that the next move may be working out a way to remove PFCs from the blood.